Circular knitting machine



' Sept. 6, 1938. P. SANDER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1956 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 fr/ 1/6/7/0/1 PM 'SaMoU/L Sept. 6, 1938. SANDER 2,129,103

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE v I Filed March 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I [m emar:

M, M -L Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED V STATES CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Paul Sander, Chemnitz, Germany, assignor to the firm Chemnitzer Strickmaschinen-Fabrik Akt. Ges., Chemnitz, Germany Application March 31, 1936, Serial No. 71,817 In Germany August 10, 1934 5 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in circular knitting machines for the automatic production of knitted hosiery with change-over from 1: 1 rib to 2:2 rib and back to 1:1 rib, or the like. It is the main purpose of my invention, to produce automatically circular knitting hosiery of a high solidity and elasticity as it is characteristic for knitting goods of the 1:1 and 2:2 rib art.

With the hitherto known arrangements of this kind, it was only possible on circular knitting machines to prepare knitted articles in 2 and 2 character, e. g., 2:1, 3:1 goods, whereby any needle not working, covered over the stitch loop, formed by the needles located to the right and to the left, on the associated rib needle. Special machines for the production of socks, in which a change-over in both directions takes place, are in themselves known. The construction of these special machines cannot, however, be incorporated in machines with large diameters.

Furthermore, structures are also known in which the needles ofboth needle beds can be out of their radial plane and deflected laterally. In such machines supplementary needles are provided'in addition to the two needle beds. The construction and working of such machines is very complicated, so that its output is considerably impaired.

By my invention, it is possible to produce automatically on an ordinary circular knitting machine provided with a cylinder, a dial and latch needles, knitted hosiery with changeover from 1:1 rib to 2:2 rib and back to 1:1 rib or the like, and it is possible to work patterns with each needle both of the cylinder and of the dial. This is attained according to the invention by arranging both in said cylinder and said dial latch needles provided with means for selectively transferring stitches from each needle to a cc-acting needle of the opposite group of needles on said cylinder or said dial respectively.

In order to permit the optional tickling off of each stitch of each needle, according to the invention, I arrange these latch needles which on 5 the shank are-,fitted with means for the opening of the stitches to be transferred or tickled off and for releasing or liberating the taking-up needle, in such manner that the passage of the co-opcrating needles can be effected without altering 0 the distance between the needle. To this end, the latch needles of the cylinder and of the dial, are each provided at the rear of the latch arranged at the head of the needle with a pro- Jectionor shoulder extending beyond the latch carrying or operative edge of the needle, for

receiving the upper stitch loop. Moreover these latch needles are preferably also provided with a lateral needle shank reinforcement in which terminates the free end of a hook or similar member serving to support the stitch to be transferred or 5 tickled off. The operative part of ,said hook member 2|v in width is somewhat smaller than the width of the corresponding adjacent part of the needle shank, as best seen on the cylinder needle in Figures 6 to 9, so that the required 10 widening of the loop or stitch by said parts is reduced to a minimum. The lateral needleshank reinforcement and the said member are provided on the latch needle at a distance not interfering with the free passage of the needle co-operating with this needle, the free end of the loosely flexible member terminating in a lateral depression or recess in the thickened part or reinforcement of the needle.

As compared with the known devices of this nature, my latch needle offers the following advantages. In consequence of the lateral reinforcement or thickening of the needle shaft, the stitch sliding down is partially widened and the membcr terminating in this needle shank thickening is .considerably relieved, so that it ensures absolutely the subsequent full widening of the stitch. Since the upper end of the loosely flexible member terminates in a lateral depression or recess of the needle thickening, this end, even in case of a change of shape of the member, remains without any injurious infiuence on the stitch loop sliding down on to the needle shank.

Further features and particulars of the inven-' tion will be clear from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, showing an exemplification of the invention at a circular knitting machine. In the drawings, which has been restricted to those parts which are important for illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a section through the cylinder and the dial of a circular knitting machine.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the cylinder cam according to arrow A of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows the position of the needles for 1:1 rib goods, in one plane,

Fig. 5 shows the needle position for 2:2 rib goods,

Figs. 6 to 9 show the different needle positions -for tickling off or transferring the stitches from rib or dial needles to cylinder needle.

In the drawings, I indicates the needle cylinder, 2 the cylinder needles, 3 the drivers, 4 the jac-.

quard device, 5 to 9 the cylinder cam parts, 10 the dial, ii the dial needles, l2 the drivers, I3 the pattern wheel, 14 to H the dial cam parts, of a circular knitting machine. As shown in Figures 4 and 5 the needles of the two sets are displaced relative to one another.

The needles 2 and II are each formed at the rear of the latch with a shoulder or projection l8 extending beyond the latch carrying or operative edge of the needles, and with a lateral needle shank reinforcement IS. The latter has a lateral depression or recess 20 in which terminates the loose flexible end of a member 2| fixed on the needle shank. The members 2! are smaller than the adjacent part of the shank ii and so constructed that the adjacent needle of the oppositely located row, on the corresponding forward movement of the needles, comes between needle shank and transmission member so as to take up the stitch which is on this needle. The lateral reinforcement l9 of the needle shank also serves 'for widening the stitch to be tickled oil, in order to relieve the spring member 2| terminating in the depression 20. At the same time, the end of the member 2| is protected in such manner by the depression 20 that even on any change of shape of this member 2|, its forward end always lies in the depression 20 and thus no injurious influence can be exerted by it on the 4 stitch sliding over it. The stitch transferring means on the needles of each set including the resilient member 2| project in opposite directions into the spaces between the adjacent needles of the corresponding set. As seen from Figures 4 and 5 both sets of needles are displaced relative to one another so that the distance between the longitudinal axes of each needle shank of one set and that of each corresponding needle shank of the other set is equal to one half the distance between the axes of adjacent needles in each set.

The stitches are now tickled off or transferred from a rib needle II on to, the opposite cylinder needle 2 in the following manner:

By means of a known pattern wheel l3, those rib needles Ii are fed to the driving out part (id) of the cam, the stitches of which must be tickled off or transferred on to the oppositely located cylinder needles 2.

Fig. 5 shows the initial position of such astitch operation or transfer. The rib needle ll is-in the course of beingdriven out, the stitch (Fig. 'l) sliding over the lateral reinforcement l9 and over the flexible element 2! as faras the projection l8. The cylinder needle 2 now commences to be driven up, and retains the lower stitch loop 23 by its head 22 (Fig. '7).

The rib needle 'II is then wholly driven out until the projection l8 lifts the upper stitch loop 24 so far from the lower loop that the cylinder needle 2'can safely slide through in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 8).

Now the stitch 25 is taken off from the rib needle II and transferred to the cylinder needle 2 whilst the needle ll slides back in its channel, the needle 2 taking off the complete stitch 25 from the member 2i. This is made possible by opening the member 2| by means of the cylinder needle 2, when pulling back the needle I I, the forward end of the member 2| being located loosely flexible in the lateral recess 20 of the needle ii.

In this way, the cylinder needle 2 which remains in its position, can easily slide, out of the needle I I, together with the transferredstitch' 25.

As will be readily understood, the stitches can be transferred in the same manner from the cylinder needle on to the; dial needles (Fig. 5'), and those cylinder or dial needles which transfer their stitches to the oppositely located dial or cylinder needle respectively, can be selectively determined by the 'usual jacquard device 4 or the pattern mechanism i3.

I claim:

1. In a circular knittingmachine, a cylinder and a dial, two sets of latch needles of which one is on said cylinder and the other on said dial, each comprising a needle head, a latch and stitch transferring means including aprojection at the rear of said latch and a hook-shaped member projecting laterally from the needle shank, the free end of said hook-shaped member directed towards the needle head being resilient and removably engaging a recess in said needle shank, both sets of needles being displaced relative to one another so that the distance between the axis of each needle shank of one set and that of each corresponding needle shank of the other set is equal to one half the distance between the axes of adjacent needles in each set.

2. In a circular knitting machine for the auto matic production of knitting hosiery with changeover from1:1 to 2:2 rib and back to 1:1 rib or the like, a cylinder, a dial, two sets of latch needles of'which' one set is on said cylinder and the other on said dial, said two sets being displaced relaclaim 2 in which said stitch transferring means-,5.

on each needle comprise a rigid stitch opening or widening element and a resilient stitchreceiving or supporting member, the free end of said member removably engaging a recess in saidstitch opening element. u

4. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 2 in which each stitch transferring means includes a laterally projecting rigid stitch opening or widening element and a resilient stitch supporting element whose free end removably engages a recess in said stitch opening element, said resilient element being spaced from its rc spective needle shank 'a distance larger than one half the distance between two adjoining needles in each set to receive betweenitself and said shank the corresponding needle of the opposite set for the transfer of the stitch thereto and on the retraction of its respective needle being caused to disengage said recess and release said needle of the opposite set. I

5. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 1 in which said hook shaped member of each needle in width is smaller than the width of the corresponding adjacent part of the needle shank, so that the required amount of widening of the loop or stitch therebyis limitedto a minimum.

. PAUL. SANDER. 1o 

